In confined places such as aircraft and other vehicular passenger compartments, space is at a premium. Appliances such as flat-panel television and display monitors are important to many travelers, but must be provided with the capability of being stowed out of the way of the passengers and crew when not in use. Nonetheless, deployable/stowable appliances must be quickly and easily positionable by the user and should be as nearby as possible, preferably being built into the passenger's seat or an adjacent structure. Due to space constraints in such areas, however, efficient storage of the apparatus and its supported display unit is necessary. Because of the relatively low-slung seats that are typical on most commercial and private aircraft, unusual vertical space limitations further constrain the design of what will be referred to herein as a stowable support apparatus. The apparatus is used to support and position a display unit, which may include, for example, a television screen, a monitor for a computer or other interactive device, or other devices for displaying visual or audio-visual information to a viewer.
The utility of such an apparatus is especially recognized in environments such as airplanes, buses and other land vehicles, or in terminal areas. The apparatus provides the user with entertainment and/or allows the user to work. For instance, a television monitor may be utilized to display a movie or some other form of entertainment. Alternatively, the display unit may come in the form of a computer monitor operably connected to a computer to enable the user to work while traveling. Such an apparatus, because of its close proximity to the user's seat, must be stowable during ingress and egress so that it does not interfere with passenger movement. Moreover, after a passenger is seated, the apparatus should be accessible in an ergonomically advantageous way.
The user also should be able to position selectively the display unit for comfortable viewing angles. Because travelers, and seating areas therefor, may differ dramatically in size and shape, the support apparatus must be adjustable to present the display unit at a user-selected viewing angle, regardless of the size or shape of the particular seat or user. Furthermore, even similarly sized individuals may have different preferred viewing angles. Therefore a stowable support apparatus not only should adjust between a stowed and a display, or user-viewable, position, but also should enable a user to adjust selectively the viewing orientation of the display unit to suit that user's particular needs or preferences.
Safety is also of utmost importance when such an apparatus is used by a passenger while a vehicle is in transit. Sudden stops, starts, or changes in direction could cause the apparatus, including its display unit, to fly out of control and damage the unit or injure the intended user or nearby passengers. Therefore there is a need for a stowable support apparatus which is constrained from freely moving or otherwise adjusting when the vehicle or passenger undergoes sudden stops or movements. A competing, and equally important concern, however, is that the apparatus must collapse or yield if impacted by the user, such as during a collision or rapid change in direction or speed. If the device remains rigidly positioned when impacted, the user is prone to severe injury when he or she impacts this non-yielding structure. To satisfy both concerns, the apparatus should retract or otherwise pivot to a safe position when struck by a user or other object, yet resist changes in position solely on account of changes in the vehicle's speed or direction.
Although a number of stowable monitor supports are known in the prior art, such supports are unsatisfactory due to their failure to address and satisfy all of the concerns listed above.
With the above problems in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stowable support apparatus that positions and supports a display unit.
Another object is to provide a stowable support apparatus that is adjustable from a stowed position, in which an attached display unit is stored and protected in an out-of-the-way position, and a display position, in which the display unit is presented for viewing by the user.
It is another object to provide a stowable support apparatus that is adjustable by the user to multiple positions for satisfying ergonomic requirements.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a stowable support apparatus that may be easily pivoted out of the way in the event of an emergency.
The invention achieves these and other objects and advantages in the form of a stowable support apparatus that includes a base with a support arm pivotally coupled to the base. The support arm is pivotal between a stowed position and a display position, and it includes a display unit coupled thereto distal the base. The apparatus further includes a lock mechanism that is configured to retain selectively the support arm in the stowed or the display position, and the lock mechanism is preferably substantially housed within the support arm. In some embodiments of the invention, the apparatus includes a sensor for detecting and indicating when the support arm is in its stowed position. In other embodiments, the apparatus further includes a mounting bracket mounted on the support arm distal the base. The display unit is mounted on the mounting bracket, and the mounting bracket enables pivotal and rotational movement of the display unit with respect to the support arm.
These and other advantages and features of the invention will become more fully apparent as the detailed description below is read with reference to the accompanying drawings.